Pregnancy & Thyroid – Precautions And Care

As beautiful as the news of pregnancy is, any other ailment detected with it can make everyone worry. Thyroid gland tends to become more active during pregnancy and many times the pregnancy symptoms are similar to thyroid symptoms. The similarity makes it essential to get the thyroid test done if you are pregnant. But again you should not be all tears if your test results show that you have a thyroid hormone related disorder.

If the thyroid medication is not taken during pregnancy by the patients then it can result in premature birth or even miscarriage. Thyroid problems can be overcame with proper precautions during pregnancy and you can have a normal delivery. Besides taking all the prescribed medications on time, you need to take care of some more things. We list them down for you-

Take Supplements

Besides taking a balanced diet, to-be-mothers suffering from thyroid disease should take some dietery supplements. Prenatal vitamins are essential. The most critical nutrient for thyroid patients is iodine. Iodine is used by body to make thyroid hormone. Discuss your problem with doctor and include a mineral supplement with iodine in your regime.

Go for frequent Check-ups

It is essential that pregnant ladies with thyroid disorder get their thyroid levels checked regularly. Regular monitoring makes it easy to keep the body in good health. The tests that help in determining thyroid levels are TSH test, T3 test and T4 test.

After ascertaining the hormone levels, the doctor may suggest intake of thyroid hormone medicines and supplements. The tests are still essential to check if the levels are adequate as in some cases there may be a need to increase the dosage.

Hyper and Hypo Thyroidism

If the patient has hyperthyroidism then anti-thyroid medications should be given to keep the hormone under control and prevent any problems. In certain cases even a surgery may be needed to remove some part of the gland.

The symptoms are goiter, frequent diarrhea, high blood pressure, weight loss and nausea etc. As these symptoms are common during pregnancy, a test is necessary to ascertain the cause.

Pregnancies in patients of hypothyroidism patients are relatively easy compared to ladies with hyperthyroidism. But here too adequate doses of the hormone is given to keep the body functions normal. Its symptoms are weight gain, constipation, weakness and increased sensitivity to cold etc.

These were some general things that should be kept in mind if you are pregnant or planning a baby. Proper monitoring beforehand goes a long way in ensuring the good health of both mother and baby.